Sunset Ridge Read online

  * * * *

  Gray took another sip of his 7-Up and settled the glass back on the nightstand. “What is it about that shit that makes me feel better?”

  Ram continued to rub Gray’s stomach. “It’s what all good mommas give their kids when they’re sick. It’s mental, not physical comfort.”

  Gray pushed Ram’s hand down towards his waiting cock. “Speaking of physical comfort.”

  “I thought you were sick.” Ram wrapped his hand around Gray’s cock and began slowly jerking him off.

  “I am. You don’t have to make me come, just make me feel good.” Gray moved closer to snuggle against Ram. “So you really like that Jesse kid, huh?”

  Ram nuzzled his face against Gray’s neck, kissing and licking the skin. “Yeah, I really do. He needs this place as much as we do. I’d like to offer him a real job and a bed in the bunkhouse.”

  Gray brushed his lips across the top of Ram’s head. “I still don’t know what you said to Raleigh, but you seem to have a way with the troubled youth of Wellington.”

  “I just talk to them straight. Let them talk to me the same way.”

  “There’s gotta be more to it.”

  “Nope, not really. Kids’ll give you back what you expect of them. I happen to expect more and tell ‘em so.”

  Gray grabbed Ram’s hair and tilted his head up. “Kiss me.”

  “And get sick? No way. Might fuck you though.”

  Despite the will being there, Gray knew his queasy stomach wouldn’t be able to handle Ram’s brand of fucking. “Rain check?”

  Ram chuckled. “You bet.”

  “Would you stay here with me tonight?” Gray asked. Although Gray had spent the night at Ram’s place, his illness had forced him to his own before the sun was up.

  “What about Raleigh? She may know about us now, but will she be comfortable knowing what’s going on inside her uncle’s bedroom?”

  “This isn’t about Raleigh. This is me asking you to move in.” Gray held his breath. It was a big step for him, and he prayed Ram recognised that.

  Before Ram could answer there was a frantic knock on the door. “Is Ram in there?”

  Without looking to Gray for permission, Ram answered. “Yeah. What do ya need?”

  “Jesse’s flipping out downstairs. He said Lady’s collapsed.”

  “Shit.” Ram jumped out of bed and reached for his jeans. “Tell him to call Ben Moore, his number’s on my desk in the stable. I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay,” Raleigh answered through the closed door.

  Gray moved to the edge of the bed and stood on unsteady legs. “I’m going with you.”

  “The hell you are. Get back in bed,” Ram ordered.

  “You know I can’t do that.” Gray made his way to the dresser and pulled out a clean pair of jeans. “You go on, and I’ll catch up.”

  Before leaving the room, Ram stepped in front of Gray and kissed him. “I’ll move my stuff over tomorrow.” He left without another word.

  Gray smiled as he selected a shirt out of the closet. He might not have been ready to stroll through town hand in hand with Ram, but at least it was a step in the right direction.

  * * * *

  One look was all it took for Ram to realise his suspicions were right. “She’s going into early labour,” he told Jesse. “How long before Ben gets here?”

  “Twenty minutes.” Jesse held Lady’s head in his lap, slowly stroking the mare’s neck. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “I don’t know, kid.” Ram went to the cabinet in the tack room and began to gather supplies. He considered tying Lady’s legs together in case she started kicking, but hated to do anything without Ben’s opinion. A Caesarian section would probably be needed but just in case, Ram grabbed the pulling straps as well as one of the birthing kits they kept on hand.

  He returned to the stall and set the supplies on a blue tarp he’d already spread out in the corner. “How’s she doing?”

  “She keeps looking up at me like she expects me to help her.” Jesse shook his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down several times before he spoke again. “I wish I knew what to do to help her.”

  “Then I’ll teach you,” a deep voice said from outside the stall.

  Ram looked up at Ben Moore. “Thanks for coming. Sorry to ruin your holiday.”

  “You didn’t.” Ben took off his jacket and hung it on a nail. He spotted the supplies and nodded his thanks as he opened the disinfectant and poured it into a shallow tub. “My folks moved to Florida a couple of months ago, so it’s just me. I was getting ready to sit down to one of those microwave dinners.”

  “Then you’ll have to join us once you save Lady’s life,” Gray said, coming into the stable.

  “Count on it,” Ben answered, washing his hands. He turned his concentration to Lady. “You ready for this?” he asked Jesse.

  “Honestly, sir? I don’t know. I’m new to all this.” Jesse looked down at Lady. “Can you give her something for the pain?”

  “That depends. First I need to examine her to see what’s going on in there.”

  Ram got to his feet and joined Gray to make room for Ben. He watched the way Ben and Jesse continued to stare at each other and had a strong idea he knew what else Jesse had fought with the guys at school about. He wrapped his arm around Gray’s waist and whispered in his ear. “I don’t think we have to worry about either of those two talking behind our backs.”

  “Can you do me a favour and tie Lady’s legs together? What I’m about to do won’t be pleasant, and I don’t fancy a kick in the head today.” Once again Ben looked at Jesse. “Sometimes it helps if you talk or sing to the animals. The calmer she is the easier this’ll be on her.”

  Ram grabbed a rope and slowly began to tie Lady’s feet together, trying not to spook the mare.

  “What’re you going to do?” Jesse asked Ben.

  “I have to reach inside and feel around. Hopefully it’ll just be a matter of trying to reposition one, or both, of the foals.”

  “Will they live?” Jesse surprised Ram by leaning over to kiss the top of Lady’s head.

  “No,” Ben said honestly. “They’re just too young. The important thing now is saving their momma.”

  Ram noticed Gray’s reaction to the news. A lifelong rancher, Gray had already known the foals were too premature to survive. Ram figured it was the thought of something happening to the mare that bothered Gray the most.

  Finished securing the horse’s back legs, Ram rejoined Gray. “You want to go up to the house and tell Georgia it’s going to be a while before we can eat?”

  Gray pulled his gaze from Ben and glanced at Ram. “Yeah. Never did like this part of ranching.”

  “With that stomach of yours I don’t know that you can handle it without tossing your cookies anyway.” Ram kissed Gray without any worry of who was around. “Go. I’ll help Ben if he needs it.”

  “Make sure he comes to dinner,” Gray reminded him.

  “I will.” Ram noticed Jesse watching them, but gave Gray another kiss anyway. There would be time to talk to the kid.

  * * * *

  While Ben stitched Lady, Ram loaded the dead foals into the bucket of a front loader and took them out beyond the pasture, away from the lake. He couldn’t get the memory of Jesse crying and singing into Lady’s ear out of his head.

  Despite the fact that Jesse loved working the ranch, Ram wondered if he had the strength to withstand the occasional harsh realities that came with the job.

  It took another hour to dig the hole and bury the foals. After parking the loader, Ram stopped by the stable to see how Lady was faring. He found Lady alive with an antibiotic IV drip.

  His hands cleaned, Ben was comforting Jesse, who still refused to leave Lady’s side. Ram hated to interrupt the tender moment between the two men, but he needed to know if the mare would be okay before he talked to Gray. “Has she delivered her placenta yet?” Ram asked.

  Jesse started to push away fro
m Ben, but Ben held him tight. “Yeah, about twenty minutes ago. Looked like all of it, but I decided to put her on a strong round of antibiotics just in case,” Ben answered.

  Ram nodded. “See if you can get Jesse up to the house for dinner. From the looks of him, he needs a few pieces of Georgia’s chocolate pecan pie.”

  “Sure thing. Give us a few more minutes,” Ben said.

  “No problem.” Ram left the stables, comforted in the knowledge that Ben would look after Lady and Jesse.

  * * * *

  Four days later, Gray stood in front of the bedroom window and watched Lady take her first steps around the corral. “I don’t ever want another stallion anywhere near her,” he said to Ram.

  “We’ll make sure Lady’s put up when she’s in season. Now come back to bed. We’ve worked our asses off while everyone else took off. It’s their turn.”

  When Gray turned away from the window, Ram flipped the covers back, exposing his gloriously nude body. “So we’re going to just stay in bed all day?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Gray dropped his robe and crawled back into bed. “I need to make sure Raleigh’s on the pill. Any ideas on how I broach that subject with her?”

  “You don’t have to. She’s a smart girl.” Ram yawned. “Let me get a couple more hours of sleep, and I’ll show you a real good time.”

  “Promises, promises.” Gray snuggled against Ram’s back, sharing a pillow with the man he loved. He liked seeing Ram’s clothes in his closet as much as he enjoyed having the man’s cock deep inside him.

  Gray was almost asleep when his cell phone rang. “Damn it.” He rolled over and grabbed his phone. “Hello?”

  “Mr Conner, this is Principal John Everett. We’ve got a situation at the high school.”

  Gray sat up. “Did something happen to Raleigh?”

  “No, sir. Jesse Franks was found unconscious in the boys’ locker room. He’s been badly beaten and the phone number we have on file has been disconnected.”

  “Have you called an ambulance?”

  “Yes, sir, I could, but there’s no insurance information on file.”

  “Fuck the insurance. Call nine-one-one and I’ll pay for it if I have to.” Gray ended the call and jumped out of bed.

  “What’s happened?” Ram asked.

  “Someone beat the shit out of Jesse at school and they can’t find his mom.”

  “Fuck.” Ram pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. “Want me to find her?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got to get to the hospital. You know where he lives?” Gray asked. He pulled on a pair of socks and headed out of the room without waiting for an answer.

  “I know.” Ram followed Gray. “Think I should call Ben?”

  “No. I’ll call him after I get to the hospital and find out how he’s doing. No sense in him walking in on an ugly situation. I’m not sure Jesse’s told his mom.”

  Gray held on to the wall and jammed his feet into his cowboy boots before grabbing his denim jacket off the hook beside the door. “Got your cell?”

  “Got it.” Ram walked Gray to his truck and opened the door. Before Gray climbed behind the wheel, Ram stole a kiss. “Drive careful.”

  “You, too.” Gray got in and closed the door. He pulled out with Ram right on his tail. As he drove towards town anger got the better of him. There was no doubt in his mind why a guy would get beaten up in the locker room. He knew the townspeople were narrow-minded fucks, but beating someone’s ass was crossing the line.

  * * * *

  Ram pulled up to the single-wide trailer and got out. He struck his fist against the door several times with no answer. Walking around the house, he looked in one of the back windows. “Allie!” he yelled to the woman on the bed.

  When Allie Franks didn’t move, Ram forced the window open and crawled inside. “Wake up!” Ram shook the woman several times, noticing the empty whisky bottles beside the bed.

  “Leave me alone,” she slurred and rolled over.

  Ram decided the kid didn’t need a drunk at the hospital anyway. At eighteen, Jesse was old enough to sign his own paperwork. Refusing to crawl back through the window, Ram walked down the hall to the kitchen. He noticed the chill in the air and stopped beside the thermostat. “Son of a bitch,” he drawled, flicking the light switch. Nothing happened.

  No wonder it was so fucking cold. He travelled through to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Beer, ketchup and a jar of cocktail onions. Ram remembered the way Jesse ate on Thanksgiving. Although Jesse didn’t make much working at the ranch, he surely earned enough to buy food.

  Looking around at the rest of the house, Ram made a decision. He searched the cupboards until he found a small box of trash bags. Carrying them into Jesse’s bedroom, Ram opened the dresser and started emptying its contents.

  By the time he was finished, he had three bags full of Jesse’s possessions. He stopped by the kitchen once more and scribbled a note for the drunk bitch in the bedroom. As far as he was concerned, Jesse no longer lived with his mother.

  He threw the bags into the back of the truck and took off. Halfway between the trailer and the hospital his phone rang. “How is he?”

  “Couple of cuts they’re stitching up. He’s pretty beat up, but they’ll release him here in a few hours.”

  “Did you call Ben?”

  “Yeah, he’s about an hour away. I told him we’d take him home with us once they release him.”

  Ram grinned. It seemed he wasn’t the only one feeling protective. “Good to hear, since I’ve got all his shit in the back of my truck.”

  “Once you get here, I’m gonna go talk to the principal. See if Jesse can finish out school at our house.”

  It was the first time Gray had referred to the ranch as their house. The words warmed Ram from the inside out. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “This is what I was afraid would happen,” Gray said before Ram hung up.

  “I know.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “I know.”

  * * * *

  Gray stepped into Principal Everett’s office and took a seat. Although it was a different principal, the office was exactly the same as when he’d attended the school.

  “How’s Jesse?” the principal asked.

  “He’ll live. What I need to know is what you’re going to do about it.”

  “Jesse Franks was found in the showers alone. We have no proof of who did that to him,” the principal explained.

  “I bet I could figure it out real quick. Jesse’s face was beat bloody. Check out the hands of the boys who had gym with him.”

  The principal held up his hands. “Just relax. We’re looking into it. We’ll need to speak to Jesse as soon as he’s well enough.”

  “If you gave a shit about Jesse, you would’ve hauled your tight ass down to the hospital. Now tell me what’s really going on here.”

  “I have a school to run. Other students who need me to be here. I’m sorry that this happened, but Jesse purposely tries to stick out among the crowd. You can’t blame teenagers for pointing out the differences in him.”

  “I can when they almost kill him.” Gray stood and leaned against the desk, putting his face in front of Principal Everett’s. “I’m going to encourage Jesse to go to the police with a list of names of the boys responsible for this.”

  “They’re kids,” the principal tried to argue.

  “Kids who beat another kid so badly they had to bring in a plastic surgeon to sew up his face.” Gray straightened. “You do me a favour. You tell those little fuckers if they want to go toe to toe with a fag they can come out to the ranch, and I’d be more than happy to take them on.”

  Principal Everett’s eyes rounded at the admission. “I realise you’re upset, but please remember where you are.”

  “I’m done here. All I need from you is my niece.” Gray hoped Raleigh wouldn’t hate him for pulling her out of school, but he suspected things in Wellington were
about to get ugly.

  * * * *

  “Uncle Gray, why did I just see Dr Moore help Jesse up to the loft apartment?” Raleigh asked, stepping into the dining room.

  “Why would you ask that? You know what happened to Jesse today. You think I’m gonna just stick him out in the bunkhouse looking the way he is?” Gray filled a glass with lemonade.

  “Doesn’t he have a home? Why’s he our problem?” she continued.

  Before Gray could answer, Ram reached out and covered Gray’s hand. “I went to Jesse’s house today to find his mother. Believe me, he’s a lot better off here with us. At least we’ll know he’s warm and eating.”

  “Can you do that? I mean, won’t you get into trouble?” Raleigh asked.

  “Jesse’s eighteen. If he wants to go back to that he can, but for now, he said he’d rather be here.” Gray studied Raleigh for several moments. “What did you hear around school after it happened?”

  Raleigh shrugged. “Just that some of the guys caught him looking and decided to teach him a lesson.”

  Ram laughed. “All guys check each other out in the locker room. They may not admit it, but they do. If Jesse got beat up for it, I take it people know he’s gay.”

  “Yeah, well, they know he’s not like the rest of them. It’s Wellington. Anyone who’s different gets picked on,” Raleigh explained. “I’m okay with him being here.”

  Gray glanced at Ram. He needed to tell both Ram and Raleigh what he’d done. “I came out to Principal Everett.”

  Raleigh’s face paled. “Please tell me you’re lying?”

  “Nope. I was mad, and I guess I just wanted him to know this wouldn’t get swept under the rug. I’m sorry if it causes more problems for you.” Strangely enough, despite his fears, Gray felt liberated by the admission. There would surely be fall-out from his choice to step out of the closet, but if Jesse had the balls to accept who he was, Gray owed it to the kid to do the same.

  “What about the business?” Ram asked.

  “I guess we’ll see.”